Camping is an art.
First-timers begin with two-berth options or pop-up versions that are easy to carry solo (win) but may be too small to live in for longer than a weekend (sob). But if you’re a family or big group who want to spend time outdoors together rather than separate little pods, such tents are not up to the job.
Family tents are the choice to go for, offering space to fit more people inside. Often they come with separate sleeping and living compartments but can feature low or sloping roofs, making it challenging to stand upright. Enter the alternative: tunnel tents.
These XL structures offer maximum standing room and have footprints large enough to sit, stretch and sleep in. They have a fairly even width until the roof, where the canvas gently curves so you’re not crouching down the entire time.
Naturally big tunnel tents are heavy, so while you can take them to a festival campground, we reckon they’re more suited to a weekend of leisurely camping. You’ll have enough space to pitch it properly, extending guy ropes out so that the tunnel tent is properly taut and ventilation panels work as they should.
Once it’s up, furnish the inside with folding tables and chairs, outdoor rugs and floor cushions to create a little home-from-home. If you’ve always sworn off camping before, a tunnel tent can really change your perception of what’s possible in terms of comfort.
If you’re ready to invest in a large tunnel tent to house your band of merry campers, we’ve done the legwork and rounded up the best on the market to buy right now.
Shop below
KHYAM Airtek 6 Inflatable Tent
- Weight: 43kg
- Dimensions: H220 x L760 x W960cm
With enough space to house up to eight people, this inflatable tent is worth the investment for regular campers. On one end is a blackout sleeping compartment so you can snooze without an early morning wakeup courtesy of the sun, while the living area takes up two-thirds (with a zipped partition in-between), creating tons of covered space to sit, eat and relax. You could set up a dining table here and still have room to spare.
It’s a heavy beast at 43kg - so one to drive directly to your pitch - but once it’s rolled out you needn’t fiddle with poles because, joy of joys, it’s inflatable. It can be up and running in a matter of minutes, allowing you to get on with the very important business of R&R.
No worries about feeling greenhouse here either; there are side doors and vents galore so it won’t feel stuffy, whether sweltering or pouring outside.
Buy now £1199.99, Decathlon
Coleman Vail 4-Person Family Camping Tunnel Tent
- Weight: 15.3kg
- Dimensions: 3 x 6.3 x 2.1m
Sharing with another couple or want to put kids in their own space? Coleman’s Vail tent to the rescue! This giant splits the sleeping compartment in half, creating twin bedrooms, each one fitting a double inflatable mattress so you can have privacy even when you’re living under the same breathable polyester roof.
Suitable for four people, the tent is designed with comfort and convenience in mind. Poles are made from light fibreglass and it’s a sturdy birdie, able to withstand the infamous British summer. The central living area is wide and tall with enough room to store kit and space to unwind.
Tunnel tents run the risk of being gloomy inside, but no such problem with Vail; large windows let light flood in while roof vents ensure fresh air is always circulating. The entire design is waterproof and it comes in a carry bag to make packing up as easy as set up. Just make sure it’s fully dry before you start rolling and folding to avoid the chance of mould developing.
Buy now £440.79, Decathlon
Easy Camp Camp Palmdale 400 4 Man Tent
- Weight: 14kg
- Packed dimensions: 71 x 29cm
It can house four people, but we think this Easy Camp design is better suited for two so that you’re not living on top of each other.
The sleeping compartment is split in half, giving you privacy and can be used to sleep kids so that you don’t interrupt them when you turn in later. The interior of the living room boasts built-in windows to make the most of daylight and allow you to see the conditions outside before unzipping the tent.
This area is spacious with enough room to keep bikes if you’re planning to do some cycling while you’re away.
Buy now £311.99, Mountain Warehouse
Vango Purbeck 600XL Tent
- Weight: 22.5kg
- Packed dimensions: 77 x 38 x 38cm
Vango makes some of the best tests in the game and offers a high-performance tunnel design in its Purbeck option. A door is located right by the queen-sized sleeping compartment, letting breezes in so things don’t become too stuffy. It’s also helpful for those needing late-night toilet trips - you won’t have to clamber through the living area to get outside.
Speaking of the living space, there is a zipped opening at the rear too which can be fully opened to let air in, while a fully sewn-in groundsheet keeps bugs and dew at bay. The living space is divided by a clear section, so you can roll the front out and create an outside living space without bringing dirt too far inside. Multifunctional windows are made from mesh, diamond clear windows and finished with curtains so you can keep a breeze circulating while retaining privacy, useful when you’re changing clothes.
Buy now £366.99, Amazon
Berghaus Adhara 700 Nightfall Tent
- Weight: 26.2kg
- Dimensions: 630 x 320 x 205cm
Be the envy of the campsite with Berghaus’ spacious Adhara tunnel tent. The design is big enough to accommodate seven adults and boasts a sewn-in groundsheet and plenty of headroom to stretch in - unless you’re over 6ft7in.
Like all good quality tents, this piece is fully waterproof with the added benefit of darkened fabric for the bedroom so you can get a decent amount of shuteye. Fibreglass poles keep the design as light as possible but it still weighs over 26kg so best to split amongst the group if you’re walking to your pitch.
Set up is straightforward but will be much easier if you’ve already got some camping experience. Amateurs may experience a steep learning curve.
Buy now £429.00, Amazon
Outsunny 8 Man Family Tunnel Tent
- Weight: 21.66kg
- Packed dimensions: 32L x 21.5W x 58Hcm
Gather all your favourite faces for a weekend of outdoor merriment in Outsunny’s giant eight-berth tent. The tunnel design offers lots of living space to relax and eat in, while the rear sleeping compartment makes a comfy nest when it’s time to catch your zzz’s. Fibreglass poles support a waterproof shell and there are large PVC window panels to see outside easily.
The smart grey palette can be lightened with bunting and solar-powered fairy lights, creating a welcoming environment to retreat from the outdoors in.
Buy now £244.99, Amazon
Coleman Chimney Rock 3 Plus Tent
- Weight: 6.9kg
- Dimensions: 4.4 x 2.0 x 1.3m
If you’re headed to a festival and don’t want to slug huge amounts of tent weight into your camping area, there are smaller tunnel tents to consider.
This three-season design says it can sleep three people, but it will be more comfortable for a couple or two friends. You won’t be able to stand upright in this design, but there is a decent amount of living space to store camping kit and accessories.
The sleeping cabin blocks out virtually all light so you can get your head down, even in the middle of the day - crucial if you’ve overdone it with the festival’s nightlife offerings.
Unusually, campers should pitch the inner cabin first before building the rest of the tent around it and secure it to the ground with the provided tent pegs.
Buy now £212.66, Amazon
Vango Icarus 500 Deluxe Family Tent
- Weight: 14.8kg
- Dimensions: 195cm (H) x 315cm (W) x 470cm (L)
Designed for five people but more comfortable for three or two, this tunnel tent has all the covetable features of its larger brothers but scaled down. The result is a lighter, price-efficient tent that is ideal for all adventures, from camping to festivals.
The groundsheet is sewn in while the shell is waterproof, keeping you and your things dry in case of rainfall. Is the forecast clear? The tent's ventilation systems will keep cooling breezes circulating so you're not overheating.
This tent sets up a little like a pop-up design, building in one piece with guylines already attached for quick and easy pitching. Adjust the tension on any terrain with straps to keep things nice and taut.
Buy now £315.00, Amazon
Quechua 4 Person Blackout Air Tent – Air Seconds 4.1 XL Fresh&Black
Ideal if you want to pitch in a flash and get on with your holiday, this inflatable tent feels really spacious inside thanks to a generous 70cm width allowance per person in the bedroom. The entire structure is inflated in one go and the bedroom is pre-assembled for minimum hassle, though be warned there is only one so this tent may be better suited to families with younger children or those who don’t mind sharing personal space.
There are all sorts of other considered features to make your camping trip as comfy as possible including a heat-reducing, sun protection fabric to stop you from roasting inside the tent, a 2000mm HH rating and patented Fresh & Black technology to reflect the sun’s rays and guarantee 99 per cent darkness in the bedroom. Our only gripe is that a hand pump isn’t included – not something you’d want to discover the first time you unroll the tent on a campsite – so make sure you buy before you go.
Buy now £299.99, Decathlon
Coleman Weathermaster 4XL Air Blackout Tent
There’s no getting away from it: you need to be planning some serious camping trips to spend this sort of money on a tent. If you’re a dedicated outdoorsy bunch, however, you’ll never regret the investment as this is the Rolls Royce of family tents. It’s also worth noting that the price includes a Camping and Caravanning Club membership worth £48 when bought through one of Coleman’s tent partners, such as Winfields Outdoors.
As you’d expect, the tent is packed with features to help the family sleep more easily, including zipped bedroom dividers for flexible configuration, a lantern hanging point, sturdy storm straps for extra stability, full head height throughout and an extended enclosed front porch.
Bad weather won’t stop you from camping either as it has a WeatherTec Polyester PU coating, a 4500 mm HH rating and even a UV guard for SPF50 protection. The bedrooms are the real game changer though. Far roomier than you might expect, they easily fit a double air bed, while BlackOut Bedroom technology keeps them dark and much cooler than normal so you won’t wake up sweating at the crack of dawn. Just be aware that the tent does weigh in at a hefty 30.4kg so you won’t want to lug it miles to your pitch, although the inflatable poles mean it still goes up in an impressive 20 minutes.
One thing’s certain: you’ll be holidaying in this one for years.
Buy now £699.99, Amazon
Outwell Nevada 4P
Need a tent that will stand up to the worst of a British summer? This high-quality three-roomed tunnel tent would see off even the heaviest downpour with its impressive 6000mm HH rating, sealed-in groundsheet for all-weather protection and heavy-duty quick-adjust storm straps. The tent is astonishingly stable too with a strong hook and loop fastening system as a direct attachment point for the flysheet and tent pole to stop sleep-disturbing vibrations if the wind picks up.
Best of all, it’s super comfortable. While tents generally allow 60cm per person in each bedroom, this one provides 70cm per person in the bigger master bedroom and full standing height means it feels very airy and roomy, even when we were all in it together. The dark roof and side panels help everyone get a good night’s sleep, magnetic strips on the inner doors allow for quick and quiet entry into the bedrooms and there are tinted windows for privacy and sun protection. We especially liked the colour-coded pegs for easier pitching even for camping novices.
Buy now £677.25, Alpine Trek
